One More Road-to-Hell Law in IL

A law that goes into effect Wednesday will require individual Illinois gun owners to check their buyer’s credentials with state police before transferring ownership of their weapons, but key details of the new process still haven’t been announced. Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, said Thursday that he was waiting to hear how private sellers would confirm that their purchaser had a valid firearm owner’s identification card. “We’ve received no instructions on how that’s to be done,” Pearson said. “If the citizens can’t do it, I don’t see (how) they can be held liable for not doing it.” State police spokeswoman Monique Bond said the agency would be prepared to verify FOID cards when the new law takes effect. She said more details would be announced at a news conference Monday. Beginning next week, Bond said gun owners will be able to call a phone number (which she said wouldn’t be made public until Monday) or use the state police website to check the buyer’s credentials and obtain an “approval number” that would be valid for a month. Then, after a waiting period of 24 or 72 hours, depending on what type of weapon was being sold, the transfer of ownership could proceed… (What if Chicago’s back-alley gun vendors can’t get cellphone connections in the alleys? Will they cancel the sales to their homies?)